Lions Not Interested In CB Asante Samuel?

Jason La Canfora reports that the Lions are “not interested” in Eagles CB Asante Samuel despite the previous reports suggesting as much.

La Canfora adds that the Titans still have some interest in acquiring him but points to his cap number as a serious obstacle.

Detroit could be waiting to see if the Eagles will lower their asking price which is something that they normally don’t do but in this case, they could be forced to.

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Bob Grotz of the Deleware Daily Times writes that “Samuel is more likely to be released than net the Eagles anything of value. ”

Grotz adds that the Eagles have had enough of Samuel after he “trashed” team president Joe Banner.

There’s no doubt that Samuel’s actions have strained his relationship with the Eagles but they’ve been shopping him for almost two years despite the fact that he’s been their best cornerback during this span, even with the additions of Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rogers-Cromartie. The Lions and Titans are currently mentioned as being the favorites but it’s going to take some more work before anything can get done.

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Mike O’Hara of FOX Sports Detroit reports that the Detroit Lions left the Owners Meetings with a “buzz” and remain interested in acquiring CB Asante Samuel.

Detroit actively pursued Samuel last year and was reportedly close to getting a deal done. At that time, Detroit was believed to be offering two mid-round picks in return for him but the asking price has surely decreased since then.

O’Hara mentions that Lions GM Martin Mayhew actually tried to move up for Patrick Peterson last year in an attempt to solidify the cornerback position.

Samuel’s $9.4 million salary is another obstacle that will have to be addressed before anything can get done.

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Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean throws water on the previous reports that the Titans are nearing a deal for Eagles CB Asante Samuel.

Wyatt specifically mentions that “no deal is imminent,” and the Titans interest in Samuel is “lukewarm at best.”

The previous report suggested that the Titans would most likely be trading a conditional third-round pick for Samuel but Wyatt writes that  “there’s no way they’d give up a third-round pick for him.”

While there may not be a deal in place with the Titans, it’s clear that the Eagles have begun the process of shopping him around. Anyone willing to part with a third-round pick for Samuel could probably get something done, but they’d have to get some assurance that he’s actually willing to renegotiate his current contract that will pay him $9.4 million for the 2012 season.

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Derrick Gunn of CSNPhilly.com is reporting that Eagles could trade CB Asante Samuel to the Tennessee Titans in the coming the days.

Gunn notes that Philly could receive a conditional third-round pick in 2013 depending on how he plays next season.

Samuel’s 2012 base salary of $9.4 million was initially believed to be an obstacle but recent reports have mentioned that Samuel may be willing to renegotiate his current deal to facilitate a trade.

You can expect to hear more about this topic in the coming days.

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Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com reports that the Titans have shown “some interest” in trading for Eagles CB Asante Samuel. McCormick adds that  “interest can be a long way from acquiring.”

Tennessee should very little interest in retaining CB Cortland Finnegan during the offseason but cornerback is still going to be a position that they’ll have to address at some point in the near future. It’s hard to say what the Eagles are looking for at this point in time, but I’m sure that a third-round pick would be a good starting point, especially now that Samuel is reportedly willing to renegotiate his contract.

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The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Eagles CB Asante Samuel would be willing to renegotiate his contract to facilitate a trade out of Philadelphia.

Samuel, 31, is set to make $9.4 base salary next season so the fact that he’s willing to restructure his contract could end up paying off big for the Eagles. Previous suggested that the Eagles would be willing to take a third-round pick in return for Samuel.

Detroit reportedly had a deal in place for him last year so they figure to be one of the top suitors for him, but the Inquirer also mentions that Titans, Bucs, Chargers, and Browns could also show amount of interest in Samuel.